To promote bragging rights for how much good the stimulus money was
doing for America, the Obama Administration set up a website called
“Recovery.gov.” Recorded on the site were details by zip
code and congressional district as to how much money was sent there
and how many new jobs were created as a result. It was a great piece
of public relations where news reporters and politicians could find
and quote the latest “good news for the economy.”

However, there
was one small problem. The Administration didn’t count on a group
called New Mexico Watchdog, a project of the Rio Grande Foundation.
While researching the site, the Foundation’s investigative research
journalist Jim Scarantino noticed something strange. It seems the site
was reporting money going to several New Mexico congressional districts
that do not exist.

The website reported
that $26.5 million went to ten New Mexico Congressional districts. The
site credited that money with creating a whopping 61.5 jobs. That, in
itself, should be a crime – spending more than $430,000 per job
crated. However, that wasn’t the big story. The fact is, those
ten Congressional districts do not exist. New Mexico only has three
– not thirteen.

As New Mexico Watchdog
broke the story, investigators from other states took up the hunt, finding
a total of 440 phantom congressional districts receiving nearly $6.4
billion to “create or save” just under 30,000 jobs –
almost $225,000 per job. The “99th” District of North Dakota,
a state which has only one congressional district, received more than
$2 million.

Mississippi’s
5th District and Oklahoma’s 6th District, and Pennsylvania’s
21st District each received $1 million. But none of them exist. All
three were eliminated as a result of the 2000 census. Money also went
to 35 congressional districts in Washington, DC and the four American
territories, all of which have no congressional districts.

Then it got worse.
Not only did the site almost double the size of Congress with its phantom
districts, further examination showed money also going to zip codes
that don’t exist. The site reported that $373,874 went to New
Mexico zip code 97052 – but no jobs were created. $36,218 was
credited for creating five jobs in zip code 87258. $100,000 went into
zip code 86705 – but no jobs were created. None of these zip codes
exist.

And the excuse
from the Obama Administration? Clerical error. Ed Pound, director of
communications for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
blamed the problem on an oversight by the fund recipients. He said it
appeared that some of those filling out the reports just didn’t
know their congressional districts (or zip codes apparently), and therefore
listed an inaccurate number.

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But the Administration
is quick on its feet and in its transparency. The problem has been solved.
All of the reports from non-existent Congressional districts and zip
codes have been removed and re-listed under “unassigned congressional
districts.” No one, of course, has bothered to investigate where
the money actually went.